The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com)FOUR DISTAFFERS SET TO GO IN DEL MAR'S CHULA VISTA HANDICAP
Four graded stakes campaigners are scheduled to go postward today to contest Del Mar's 26th edition of the Grade II Chula Vista Handicap for fillies and mares, 3 years old and older, at 1 1/16 miles on the main track. If all start, the purse will be $309,200, with $189,200 going to the winner.
Originally schedules to run in the Chula Vista was Exotic Wood, a multiple- graded stakes winner carrying a record of eight victories and a second in nine career outings, but she was scratched on Saturday when she developed an injury in her left front leg.
Heading the field now is Sidney Craig's Different, who has a record of seven wins and a second in eight lifetime starts.
ONCE SOUR, DERNIER EMPEREUR BRINGS SWEET VICTORY TO CECIL BARN
Trainer Ben Cecil reports that Dernier Empereur came back "very good" from his victory in Saturday's Grade II, $250,000 Del Mar Handicap.
"He certainly has turned around in the right direction," Cecil said at his barn this morning. "He went through a stage where he didn't even want to go to the track. He had gotten pretty sour, and he was pretty studdish.
"I have to give [exercse rider] Pam York a lot of credit for helping him change. She has done a very good job. He's still a handful at the track. We have to put blinkers on him even to gallop in the morning. We have to keep him looking straight ahead."
He's been straight forward since Cecil put him in an allowance race at Del Mar on July 27 as a last chance for the 6-year-old son of Trempolino to give the trainer any sign that he might still be interested in racing. If not, he was headed to the breeding shed in New Zealand. He finished a nice second to Gentlemen in that race, and then came back to win Del Mar's Escondido Handicap on August 9. That earned him a shot at Saturday's Del Mar Handicap.
Next for the big chestnut is the $1-million Canadian International Stakes September 29 at Woodbine. A good effort in that race would probably send him to the $2- million Breeders' Cup Turf on October 26, also at Woodbine.
SWELLING RECEDES IN INJURED LEG THAT SIDELINED EXOTIC WOOD
The injury to the left foreleg that caused Exotic Wood to be scratched from today's Grade II Chula Vista Handicap seems to be on the mend, trainer Ron Ellis indicated this morning. "It's perfect today," Ellis said. "I just don't know how strong it is. We have some anti-inflammatories [medication] in it and the leg looks real good now, but we haven't done the diagnostics [x-rays and bone scans] yet. We may do that today or tomorrow."
Though disappointed that the daughter of Rahy had to miss the Chula Vista, Ellis said, "I'm real happy the swelling's out of the leg and it looks real good. It's just too bad it happened this close to the race, and I wouldn't feel confident in running her."
Owner Martin Wygod was at the Ellis barn this morning to check in on the filly, too.
HOFMANS LOADS UP FOR CHANCE TO SWEEP NEXT WEEKEND'S STAKES
Trainer David Hofmans is ready to saddle up to make a run at sweeping the final weekend's stakes of Del Mar's 43-day meeting. On tap for the meet's final weekend are the Grade II, $125,000-added Palomar Handicap on Saturday, and the Grade II, $200,000-added Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap and the $75,000-added Torrey Pines Stakes, both on Sunday.
Following the weekend, Del Mar will race on Monday and then come back Wednesday, September 11, for the Grade II, $250,000 Del Mar Futurity for 2-year-olds on the meet's final day. Also slated for closing day is the $75,000-added El Cajon Stakes.
On his weekend agenda, Hofmans has Golden Eagle Farm's Yearly Tour ready to run in Saturday's Palomar, a race for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course. Chris McCarron, Del Mar's all-time leading stakes winner with 102, will ride the 5-year-old daughter of Half a Year who will be making her first start since Santa Anita's San Gorgonio Handicap on January 14.
The trainer will double up in the Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap on Sunday. He'll saddle Ridder Thoroughbred Stable's Alphabet Soup, winner of Del Mar's Pat O'Brien Handicap on August 17 in his first start since the March 2 Santa Anita Handicap, and Golden Eagle Farm's Dramatic Gold, who finished fourth in Del Mar's Pacific Classic on August 10. Alphabet Soup is the defending champion in the Del Mar Breeders' Cup.
Chris Antley gets the call on Alphabet Soup, as he did in the Pat O'Brien, and Hofmans says he hasn't settled yet on a rider for Dramatic Gold.
The trainer also plans to enter Bon Cozi and Closed Escrow in the Torrey Pines.
DEL MAR FUTURITY COULD BRING RESPECT TO UNBEATEN SWISS YODELER
So far, Swiss Yodeler is still the Rodney Dangerfield of America's 2-year-old ranks - he gets no respect. And trainer Mike Harrington isn't happy about that, with good reason. All the son of Eastern Echo has done is win all five of his races, and he's proved along the way that he's a tough guy.
Harrington let his feelings be known after Swiss Yodeler's victory in Del Mar's Grade III Best Pal Stakes on August 21 as he chided turf writers and handicappers about not giving his colt the respect the trainer believed the animal had earned. He went so far as to say if D. Wayne Lukas had the colt, he'd be considered "the new Citation."
Swiss Yodeler, who Harrington has on a track heading for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Woodbine in Toronto on October 26, is expected to be in a field of nine that will go to the post on the seaside track's closing day, September 11, to contest the Grade II, $250,000-guaranteed Del Mar Futurity.
Swiss Yodeler will be ridden by his regular pilot, Alex Solis. Expected to join him in the gate are General Royal, who will be supplemented for $10,000, and will be ridden by Chris McCarron; Golden Bronze, no rider named; Gold Tribute, Gary Stevens; Red, Rene Douglas; Silver Charm, David Flores; Tru Story, Corey Nakatani; Wrightwood, Chris Antley; and Zippersup, no rider named.
SHORE LINES: Del Mar will observe another of the season's "5-Star Mondays" tomorrow. In the special promotion, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has joined with the Carl's Jr. restaurants of San Diego County to present racegoers with grandstand admission, an official program, a reserved seat, a hot dog and a small soft drink or beer, a $12.50 value for $5, accompanied by a special "5-Star Mondays" coupon from any Carl's Jr. location in San Diego County .... Richie Silverstein, agent for jockey Martin Pedroza, and his wife, Marisa, send their gratitude for the concern expressed to them over the mauling by an Alaskan Malamute dog last week of their 28-month-old son, Schuyler-Jameson, at Del Mar Beach. In a note to friends, Silverstein writes: "Your gifts, prayers and calls are greatly appreciated. It will be at least six weeks before we'll know if Schuyler will be OK or need more plastic surgery." .... Goncalino Almeida has picked up the mount on Windsharp, the Wallace Dollase-mare who is scheduled to run in next Sunday's $100,000-added Jockey Club Cup Handicap at Woodbine near Toronto, Ont., Canada.
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